'Cursed' Peru town hopes Pope Leo brings better luck
Residents hope the papal visit will end centuries of bad luck and draw new devotion to a town of about 4,000 people, officials said.
- On November 14, Pope Leo XIV will visit the Peruvian town of Zana to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Saint Toribio's canonization, concluding his three-country Latin American tour. The US-born pontiff served as archbishop in this region from 2015 to 2023.
- For centuries, Zana has labored under a reputation of being "cursed" after pirates attacked the town and floods nearly destroyed it. Legends of divine punishment persist, linked to the 1606 death of Spanish missionary Mogrovejo, who converted Indigenous Peruvians.
- Hundreds of Vatican flags have been ordered to decorate homes, while the Catholic Church has asked residents to open their doors to visiting pilgrims. The modest local church facade is being renovated, financed by raffle ticket sales.
- Maria Colchado, a 63-year-old local volunteer, believes the papal visit will lift the town's ill-starred reputation. "The curse is over," said Colchado, who expects to host about 30 people in her home, echoing sentiments in Chiclayo.
- Chiclayo Bishop Edinson Farfan noted the Holy Father holds Zana dear, calling his return "Coming home." Leo, leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, became a Peruvian citizen in 2015, leaving a profound mark on the nation.
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The citizens of the people believe that, with the visit of the Supreme Pontiff, the curse "is left behind" and they already feel "blessed."The revolution that means their arrival in this area of Peru.
The colonial churches of the village were destroyed in 1720 by a flood that nourished the legend of a divine punishment In Zaña, in northern Peru, the faithful await the visit of Pope Leo XIV
The Peruvian people of Zaña prepare to receive Pope Leo XIV, among colonial ruins, faith and tradition.
Radio France Internationale
'Cursed' Peru town hopes Pope Leo brings better luck
Under Spanish colonial rule in the 16th century, Zana -- home to around 4,000 souls -- was a wealthy center of commerce dotted with grandiose churches. But three centuries after it was nearly destroyed by a flood of biblical proportions, vultures now roost in its ruined steeples. Zana's identity is strongly associated with Catholicism, thanks to legends of divine punishment -- before the flood, it was regularly attacked by pirates -- to the deat…
notizie.it
Chiclayo, 4 Nov. (askanews) - For centuries Zana, a small town in northern Peru, has carried the fame of a cursed city.
In Zaña, a dusty colonial city in northern Peru that has been carrying the reputation of being cursed for centuries, the faithful await the visit of Pope Leo XIV as a blessing.The streets of this arid town of 4,200 inhabitants, sometimes classified as a "phantom city", today look lonely.Among its streets emerge the ruins of four imposing colonial churches, remnants of its ancient wealth, where the hens now rest.Zaña was centuries ago a prosperou…
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